(411e) Millimeter Scale, Free-Standing, Planar Phospholipid Bilayers

The development of model cellular membranes is crucial for fundamental investigations of biological phenomena, ranging from membrane protein pore formation and biomolecule transport to bilayer elasticity and lipid raft formation. In this talk, a novel method to fabricate millimeter scale, free-standing, planar phospholipid bilayers for such studies is presented.  Advantages over current state-of-the-art routes to create model membranes include ease of imaging with fluorescence microscopy due to the large scale, the capability to independently control the solvent conditions on either side of the bilayer and an ideal planar geometry to interrogate fundamental transport processes.  The versatility of this approach will be demonstrated by the creation of bilayers using a variety of phospholipids. In some cases we studied the temperature dependent phase separation.  The mechanical response of the bilayers to osmotic and hydrostatic pressure gradients and the dynamic control of lipid packing within the membrane will also be presented.